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Quang Tri was once an important citadel city, but little of its old glory remains. In the Easter Offensive of 1972, four divisions of North Vietnamese regulars, backed by tanks, artillery and rockets, poured across the DMZ into this province. They laid siege to QuangTri town, shelling it heavily before capturing it along with the rest of the province.

The south struck back: over the next four months the city was almost completely leveled bay South Vietnamese artillery and carpet bombing by US fighter- bombers and B-52s. The ARVN suffered 5000 casualties in rubble to rubble fighting to retake the city.

Today all that might interest a visitor are the remnants of the moat, ramparts and gates of the citadel, which the North and South fought bitterly over in 1972. It’s off Tran Hung Dao Street, 1.6 km north of Hwy 1A

Outside Quang Tri, along Hwy 1A towards Hue, is the skeleton of Long Hung church. It bears countless bullet holes and mortar damage from the 1972 bombardment, and is a common stop on DMZ tours

What to do?

This is one of the best provinces in Vietnam for historic sights including Quang Tri Citadel, La Vang Church, Sac Tu Pagoda, hien Luong Bridge, Tung Gate and Vinh Moc Tunnels.

Vinh Moc Tunnels is well-known as an underground village constructed to avoid bombardments during the American War (1965-1966). The complex was built with wells, kitchens, rooms for each family and hospitals. Today, the tunnels were restored with reinforced concrete and internal lightening system.

Truong Son Cemetery was built on several low hills in Truong Son village, Giao Linh district. It is a memorial to Vietnamese soldiers, who sacrificed their lives for national liberation and independence.

Hien Luong Bridge was first built by French sappers in 1950 and under the Geneva Agreement on Vietnam signed in 1954, served as the border gates to both sides. It is very pleasant to go on boat down stream on the Ben Hai River and admire the beautiful landscapes.

Quang Tri Citadel was a military bastion and an administrative head office of Nguyen Dynasty in Quang Tri Province from 1809 to 1945. The incident of 81 days and nights in 1972 during American War has made this citadel well-known all over the world.

When to go?

The weather in Quang Tri is very severe with hot and dry south- west winds. Annual average temperature is 24ºC. The most convenient time to visit the area is from March to August, particularly in March and April when it is normally dry and the temperatures are cooler although light rain is still likely.